1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a system for handling a hyper text and its display method.
2. Related Background Art
It is a general way that a reference to another document, figure, table, or the like is included in one document. In a document file on a computer, a "hyper text" in which a function for retrieving and displaying a reference file by the operation of the user is built in is realized in a portion to refer to another document file or a data file such as figure, table, or the like.
FIG. 9 shows an example of a construction of a conventional system for handling such a hyper text. In the diagram, a computer system 110 is constructed by an output device 111, an input device 112, a central processing unit (CPU) 113, a network interface (I/F) device 114, a main memory device 115, a secondary memory device 116, and an internal bus 117, which will be explained hereinbelow.
The output device 111 comprises a display device such as CRT, LCD, or the like, a speaker, a printer, and the like. The input device 112 comprises a keyboard, a mouse, a microphone, and the like. The CPU 113 makes the computer 110 operative in accordance with programs stored in the main memory device 115. The network I/F device 114 is connected to a network communication path 118 in the outside of the computer and communicates with another computer 110' which is connected to the communication path 118 and has a construction similar to the computer 110.
A program 130 to process the hyper text and a program 140 which is called from the program 130 and is used to display the hyper text have been stored in the main memory device 115. The secondary memory device 116 comprises a hard disk, a magneto-optic disk, or the like. A hyper text file 160 and a hysteresis file 170 are stored in the secondary memory device 116. The hyper text file can be stored in not only the own computer 110 but also a memory device of the other computer 110' through a network. The internal bus 117 connects each of the above-mentioned devices 111 to 116 in the computer.
In the hyper text, a document file/data file on the reference destination side may be also further a hyper text. Moreover, in many cases, a plurality of hyper texts refer to one document/data file or a plurality of hyper texts refer to one another. As a whole, it is a general case where the hyper text doesn't have a linear construction like a book.
Therefore, it is difficult for the user to store information indicating which document/data file he has already read. It is, accordingly, necessary to record information indicating which document/data file the user has read and to present the information to the user. The operations of the hyper text process program 130 and display program 140 will now be described hereinbelow with reference to FIGS. 10 and 11.
The hyper text process program 130 will now be described.
First, The initial hyper text file 160 which is designated by the user is retrieved from the secondary memory device 116 or a secondary memory device of the other computer 110' through the network (step S1010). Subsequently, the hysteresis file 170 of each user is opened (if there is no hysteresis file, after it was formed, it is opened) and reference destination information of the initial file is recorded to the end of file (step S1020).
In step S1030, the hyper text display program 140 is called and the retrieved document/data file is displayed by the output device 111. The display program 140 will be described in detail hereinlater with reference to FIG. 11.
Returning from the display program 140, a check is made to see if the user has performed an end procedure of the processes (step S1040). If YES, the processing routine is finished.
When the end procedure is not performed, step S1050 follows and the apparatus waits until the user selects a link by the operation of the input device 112 such as keyboard, mouse, or the like. When no link is selected, the processing routine is returned to step S1040. When the link is selected, the processing routine advances to step S1060 of retrieving the file.
In step S1060, reference destination information (hereinafter, simply referred to as reference information) indicative of the position of the file which is referred from the link is extracted. On the basis of the reference information, the document data/file is retrieved from the secondary memory device 116 or a secondary memory device of the other computer 110' through the network. In step S1070, further, the reference information of the file which was retrieved in step S1060 is recorded to the end of the hysteresis file 170. The processing routine is returned to step S1030, the display program 140 is called, the contents thereof are displayed on the output device 111, and the above processes are subsequently repeated until the end of the processing routine.
The information of the link selected by the user, namely, the file read by the user is recorded in steps S1020 and S1070 mentioned above.
Subsequently, the program 140 for distinguishing the unread portion and the already read portion of the user on the basis of the hysteresis and for displaying the hyper text will now be described with reference to FIG. 11.
First, the hyper text file is parsed (step S1110). In step S1120, a check is made to see if a processing position has reached the end of the file. If NO, step S1130 follows. If YES, the processing routine is finished.
In step S1130, a check is made to see if the parsed portion is a reference portion (link anchor) to another file. When it is not the link, an ordinary document display is performed (step S1180). For example, characters are displayed by a black font of Ming type and no decoration is performed to the characters.
In case of the link, step S1140 follows and the reference information of the link is extracted and a check is made to see if the reference information of the link has been recorded in the hysteresis file 170 of the user (step S1150). If NO, since this means that the document/data file designated by the link is not read yet, an unread link display is performed (step S1170). For example, characters are displayed by a blue font of Gothic type and a decoration such that the characters are underlined or the like is performed.
In step S1150, when the reference information has been recorded, the file designated by the link has already been read, so that the already read link display is performed (step S1160). For example, characters are displayed by a red font of Gothic type and a decoration such that the characters are underlined by a broken line or the like is performed. After completion of steps S1160, S1170, and S1180, the processing routine is returned to step S1110 and the processing routine is repeated until the end.
According to the above processes, the link to the document/data file which has already been read by the user and the link to the document/data file which is not read yet are distinguished.
However, in the case where the already read file is renewed after it was read, the contents of the file after it was renewed are not read. Therefore, although such a state is substantially equivalent to the unread state, since this point is not reflected to the hysteresis file, the link is uniformly displayed as an already read file. A problem such that the file to be again confirmed and the file which has already been confirmed cannot be distinguished occurs.